Source : INQ7.net, Philippines, 06 Dec '04
By : Mynardo Macaraig
  

But to support such an idyllic lifestyle, the province composed of the main island of Palawan and some 1,780 smaller islets is banking on tourism -- even if it means forfeiting Palawan's image of rustic isolation.

The 14,896 square-kilometer (5,729 square-mile) province has strict environmental regulations and the capital Puerto Princesa has an ordinance banning "destructive development."

"I made a commitment not to have destructive development," says mayor Edgardo Hagedorn. "That's in line with our focus on sustainable development -- no factories, no mining, no logging."

Illegal logging and the destruction of natural forests have been blamed for the high death toll from storms which hit the Philippines beginning late last month and resulted in landslides and floods which left some 1,100 people dead and missing.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo suspended all commercial logging and there have been calls for people in affected areas to be weaned off forest-related means of livelihood.

Palawan concentrates on tourism, agriculture and fisheries for its income and the province has much to offer tourists, both foreign and local, from the richest to those from the lower-middle class.

The wealthy and powerful, including Hollywood stars like Mariah Carey, Robert De Niro and Naomi Campbell, stay at exclusive, well-secured Palawan islands, accessible mostly through charter planes.

More modest tour groups visit the famed crocodile farm, a village populated by Vietnamese boat people and a national park with an awe-inspiring underground river.

Palawan has diverse flora and fauna, hot springs and waterfalls that have yet to be fully tapped for tourism. A marine sanctuary covering a giant coral reef and an island reserve stocked with African animals are also underutilized, says Janice Espina of 1700 Islands Travel and Tours.

It is largely spared the brunt of the numerous typhoons and storms that hit the Philippines each year.

But the province's isolation makes Palawan's best attractions difficult to reach. Many of the best beaches, resorts, dive spots and tourist sites can be visited only by lengthy road or boat trips.

Espina says the visitors may be intimidated by the rough roads and modest accommodations.

Nightlife is subdued and even the capital Puerto Princesa has the atmosphere of a sleepy town.

There is a shortage of luxury hotel rooms and many parts of the island suffer from irregular electrical supply. Upper-class resorts install their own generators.

Tourism in Palawan suffered a major blow in May 2001 when the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnapping gang allegedly linked to the Al-Qaeda terror network, abducted 20 people, including three American tourists, from an island resort off Puerto Princesa.

Two of the Americans died in Abu Sayyaf captivity, an incident that still casts a pall over tourism to the area.

Figures from the provincial tourism office show that the number of domestic and international visitors fell eight percent to 117,516 in 2001 compared to the previous year. Visitor arrivals fell a further three percent to 113,829 in 2002.

Foreign arrivals were hardest hit. From 31,772 overseas visitors in 2000, the number fell to 30,808 in 2001 and dropped to 20,555 in 2002.

Elaine Leonor, general manager of Hotel Fleuris, one of Palawan's leading establishments, says that after the kidnapping there were days of zero occupancy.

"We almost closed the hotel. But then we recovered in two years," she says.

As memories of the kidnapping faded, visitors rose 25 percent to 142,238 last year. Foreign arrivals were also up to 22,601 by 2003.

Provincial tourism officer Maribel Buni says tourist arrivals should double in five to 10 years.

Such figures may look small compared to the thousands of visitors drawn each year to Indonesia's Bali or Phuket in Thailand, but officials and local tourism leaders hope improved infrastructure will boost numbers.

"It might not be that big but in the long run, once the infrastructure is set up, we will get more tourists coming," Hagedorn says.

New highways that will speed up travel to tourist sites and improved airports in different parts of the island that can take more flights and larger aircraft are among the priorities.

A convention center has been built in Puerto Princesa at the cost of 200 million pesos (3.6 million dollars) in hopes of bringing in regional conferences and sporting events.

"We're still not ready for a huge boom [in tourists]. I think that's attainable in five years," says Leonor.